cruise news

On 29 April 2017, the 83,308 gross tonne cruise ship, Disney Wonder, became the first passenger vessel to sail through the new locks at the Panama Canal.

​The new, larger locks at the Panama Canal opened in 2016 and allow larger vessels to transit through the 48-mile canal connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.

Disney Wonder is the first of 18 cruise ships which are scheduled to transit the new locks this year.​The Panama Canal was first used in August 1914. The original locks allow ships of up to 294 metres in length and 32.3 metres wide to transit. These size ships are known as Panamamax ships.

The new much larger locks allow ships measuring 365 metres in length and 49 metres wide to transit.